Arch support



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,633

P. E. BOEHLKE ARCH SUPPORT Filed Sept. 9. 1925 v Eliza i/le,

Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE."

rain. a. nominal, or nunueun, Iowa, assrenon or ems-Eur 'ro Emmi n.

. OLESON, or nunnonn, IOWA.

Anon surronr.

Application filed September a; 1925. Serial m. 55,293.

normally serve to support the arch of the feet and prevent straining thereof, stretching of the ligaments or tendons by which the bones of the arch are connected thus causing, at times, great .pain and distress and resulting "in what is known as flat feet.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an arch support of this nature which will exert an upward pressure on the arch without tending to stop the flow of blood through the vessels in that portion of the foot wherebywhile the arch is supported it has an opportunity of regaining its natural strength.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which possesses great natural elasticity and which may be placedin position and held in position in the shoe without any independent means.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide an arch support having a core of sponge rubber, the upper portion of which is shaped to fit'the instep space in the bottom of the foot and a base of relative] stifi' leather and a cover of relatively flexi le leather for housing the core.

A still further very important object of the invention is to provide a support for the -metatarsal bones of the foot which is capable of-being readily and easily adjusted in the front end portion of the arch support.

Astill further object of the invention is to provide an arch support of this nature which is simple in its construction, strong, durable,'com fortable, and well ada ted to the purpose for which it: is designe With the above and numerous other objectsin view, the invention resides in certainnovel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. y

In the drawing Figure 1 is a top planview of the sup- P f Figure 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section there- 'through.

" Referring to the drawing in detail, it will I be seen that 5 designates a core composed of sponge rubber, a material which is cellular in construction and which is soft, flexi-' ble and highly compressible, and at the same time elastic, and'which is molded or otherwise formed so that the top surface thereof will exactly fit the sub arch space or instep space in the bottom of the foot and the vertical and transverse dimensions of which are such that when placed in position in the sub arch or instep space it completely fills the same, the under surface thereof being molded or formed in accordance with the inner sole of the shoe.

A sole strip 6 is formed of relatively stifl' leather to rest on the inner sole of the shoe and the arch thereof. The core 5 is placed thereon and it is to be noted that the forward portion of the sole strip 6 projects a distance beyond the forward end of the 7 core. A cover 7.extends over the top surface of the core 5 and along down to the side thereof as at 8. This cover is apertured as indicated at 9 to allow proper ventilation within the cover. The cover is sewed to the sole strip 6 about its side edges, its rear edge, and at an intermediate portion as is indicated at 10, said stitching 10 being curved inwardly toward the center of the support. Thus the forward end 11 of the cover 7 is in the form of aflap which ex-' tends forwardly more than the forward portion 12 of the sole strip 6. A metatarsal bone support is adapted to be received between the portion 11 and the portion 12 as is shown to advantage in Figures 1 and 2. As may be seen in Figure 1 this support for the metatarsal bone includes a core 13 formed of sponge rubber and having its up per surface shaped to fit the metatarsal M arch. The core 13 is provided wtih a covering 14. This metatarsal support is substantially triangular in shape having the apexes curved and the sides of different lengths so that it may be rotated in different directions for proper adjustment to fit into the metatarsal arch. The covering 14 is consructed of a leather having a rough frictional surface that is a rough nap so that when it is adjusted and the support is bein used in a shoe this metatarsal support w' not move out of the desired adjustment.

The cores 5 and 1 3 are held under com-' 7 and i pression by their respective coverin 14. so that they naturally have a ten ency exert an upward pressure fpr supporting allow one support tobe held in desired ad-- justed position in relation to the other w1thout the use of additional securing means.

The dotted line 5' in'Figure 1 represents the outside formation of the sponge rubber filler 5. The stitching forms the rearward limitation of the pocket receiving the metatarsal arch cushion. The numeral 6 in Figure 1 has its lead line leading to' a dotted line denoting the limit of the base or'lower strip 6 of the arch support. The forward end 1]., as shown in Figure 2, extends over and beyond the base 6, allowing each strip to be beveled separately, one bevel merging into the other and allowing the gradual decline to the level of the insole -of the shoe.

It is to be noted that there is only one thickness to contend with, and this allows the metatarsal cushion 14 to .be projected beyond the limits of the stitching 10, so that the drop is imperceptible, without hmitmg the scope of'movement and forward adjustment of the cushion l t. The end 11 functions as a protection and a holdlng agent, preventing the foot. from dislodging the cushion 14.

g I am aware that foot pads, arch supports and like devices of this nature'have before been made of a form somewhat similar to mine and containing material similar to that used; by me but I am not aware of any such device that has been made and intended for use wherein the sponge rubber is held under compression and naturally exerts an u ward pressure without the necessity of the weight of the person being directly thereon. a I am not aware of any device wherein the metatarsal support is held in adjustment by the simple means hereinbefore described and hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is 1. A foot arch support'of the class described including a core composed of sponge rubber, having its upper surface of a contour similar to that of the bottom of the foot arch and its bottom surface similar to that of the sole of a shoe, and a covering for said core holding said core compressed. 2. A foot arch support including a core composed of sponge rubber, a covering for the core holding the same-compressed and having at-its front endian upper and a lower flap, a metatarsal support formed of a sponge rubber core having ,a rough covering for frictionally engaging saidflaps.

3. A foot arch support including a sole strip, acore on the sole strip composed of sponge rubber having its upper surface of a contour similar to that of the bottom of the foot arch and its bottom surface of a contour similar to that of the sole strip, a covering over the core having its sides and rear stitched to the sides and rear, respectively, of the sole strip, and an intermediate portion stitched transversely to an intermediate portion of the sole strip so that the stitch is curved toward the center of the support and to form an upper and lower flap, and a metatarsal support receivable between said flaps, said stitching, said sole, and said covcring holding the core compressed.

4. A foot arch support including a sole strip, a core on the sole strip composed of sponge rubber having its upper surface of a contour similar to that of the bottom of the foot arch and its bottom surface of a contour similar to that of the sole strip, a covering over the core having its sides and rear stitched to the sides and rear respectively of the sole strip, and an intermediate portion stitched transversely to an intermediate portion of the sole strip, so that the stitch is curved toward the center of the support and to form an upper andlower flap, and a metatarsal support receivable between said flap and including a core of sponge rubber having a roughened cover for frictionally engaging the flaps both of said cores being held under compression.

5. A foot arch support including a sole strip, a core on the sole strip, a covering over the core having the sides and rear stitched to the sides and rear respectively of the sole strip and having an intermediate portion stitched transversely to an intermediate portion of the sole strip so that the stitching is curved toward the center of the support to form an upper and a lower flap, and a metatarsal support receivable between said flaps, the forward end of the upper flap extending farther forwardly than the for- .ward end of the lower flap.-

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PAUL E. BOEHLKE. 

